The BASMA Association for the Promotion of Employment of the Disabled is a Charitable association. It was established on March 7, 2000, by Mrs. Leila Ben Ali, the wife of the former president of the Republic of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The BASMA (meaning "smile" in Arabic) Association seeks to back up the State's efforts in the integration of disabled people, particularly by contributing to enhancing their employment, offering them assistance in finding jobs in both the public and private sectors and also in starting their own projects. The association endeavors to disseminate the spirit of initiative and the sense self-reliance amongst disabled people and persons with specific needs, so as to repel the notion of dependency and to urge them to actively contribute to their own integration in the socio-economic circuit. BASMA contributes also to the training and employment of disabled people, and aids them market their products and participate in various trade fairs and events. Aims BASMA's essential aim is to promote the employment of disabled persons either as wage-earners or as self-employed. In order to attain this goal, the association endeavors to prepare disabled individuals for professional life by providing or extending the training opportunities and by ensuring their educational integration at a very early pre-school age. Amongst the major aims of the association are: The integration of disabled people into the economic circuit as wage-earners or self-employed The exploration of new employment fields and areas The rehabilitation and training of disabled people The follow-up and supervision of disabled people Awareness-raising Accomplishments BASMA's action is not limited to the employment of disabled people. It seeks also to offer different types of services including health and leisure in order to help persons with specific needs to merge within the society and pull them out from the state and feeling of loneliness and marginalization. Thus, and as part of its relentless endeavor to assist disabled people to integrate into socio-economic circuit, the association has proceeded on several occasions to the distribution of various kinds of equipment to help this category launch their own projects in different domains and areas such as sewing, seaming, and broidery, silk painting, silver manufacturing, and gardening. The BASMA Club offers a multitude of services for the benefit of disabled people and persons with specific needs. Its essential objective is to help these categories lead a quasi- normal life and ultimately integrate the